Your favorite solvent cast bullets

[Hi-Speed]

I always come back to Hoppes 9 and when bore and revolver chambers are clean, I run a moistened patch down both using RemOil for short term storage (Mil-Std CLP for longer storage). I’ve literally tried everything out there but always come back to Hoppes and RemOil.

What are your favorite solvents and protectants, along with your cleaning protocol after shooting cast bullets?

[uscra112]

Ed's Red.

[GhostHawk]

ATF current is Dextron III, does as good or better job of getting lead out than Hoppes for me. Also works great on exteriors. When wiped down with ATF, my revolvers are smoother for longer.

Wiped on with an lightly oiled patch, then wiped off with an old cotton towel it seems to leave a film that lasts. Q tips for inside parts, slide rails, any moving part really.

That's my story, YMMV.

[mattw]

For my bores, I use a 50-50 mix of Kroil and ProShot. I have been using this mix since I started shooting bench rest. After it is clean, a final pass of Gibbs or CLP.

[BNE]

Ed's Red for me also. Easy to make and less expensive over time.

[Outpost75]

Another vote for Ed's Red.

[specops]

Another vote for Ed’s Red.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Ed's Red what is there to not like about it , ingredients on hand , mixed and ready to use by the gallon , when there are several active shooters in the house it comes in handy and a decent price.

[Gewehr-Guy]

For cleaning I've been using either Kroil or Eds Red, then a patch saturated with Bens Liquid Lube or thinned LLA.

[Wolfer]

Ed’s red for me also. Although once I get the fit I want I rarely clean.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I like hoppes #9 and hoppes gun oil, although for copper fouling, sweets is very good. I love the smell of hoppes.

[fourarmed]

I have to go the other way: Straight Kroil has always gotten lead out faster than either ER or Hoppe's in my rifles.

[gnoahhh]

Ed's Red leads by a long shot.

[Bazoo]

I've never tried eds red, I'll have to give it a go sometime. I normally use hoppes 9, hoppes oil and 3in1 oil and remoil. I mostly use remoil for loosening the crud in my marlin 60 action and wiping the suit out of actions, and for general wiping down after handling. Those are available easily and fairly cheap. I'll use about anything though if I come across a bottle cheap. I've used tetra gun grease. I have a bottle of tetra copper solvent I got cheap out of the bargain bin. Used ezzox too. I like vintage stuff and I have several bottles of hoppes oil from yardsale finds.

[Hossfly]

Ed’s Red with lanolin, and some times Kroil.

[SvenLindquist]

I never clean guns until they become inaccurate. Just stick em' in an anti-rust VPI foil case and they're good to go the next time (Even here @ MM One on US 1)

[abunaitoo]

Ed's Red with a little Lucas Trans Tune.
The Trans Tune seems to get more carbon out, faster.
Best thing I've found, but hard to find here, Wipe Out foaming bore cleaner.

[richhodg66]

I use Ed's Red for cleaning and whatever oil I have around it seems for lightly wiping things down.

I was it Autozone the other day for something and it seems Lucas makes a gun iol that is red in color, so I bought a small bottle, haven't used any yet.

Hoppes works fine, but that Ed's Red is dirt cheap by comparison and works at least as well. At least 90% of my shooting is cast, and I very, very rarely get any leading, Ed's Red does just fine for me.

[EMC45]

Kroil. I also use an old Mil Surp solvent that I got from my FIL. It is a Kroil copy as close as I can tell. Cleans really well.

[Reverend Al]

Have been using Hoppes #9 for many years, but my large supply is finally coming to an end so I will make up a batch of Ed's Red to use instead. Has anyone ever added a small amount of Hoppes #9 bore solvent to a batch of Ed's Red just so that it will still have that wonderfully distinctive Hoppes smell? It's like a cologne / aftershave for outdoorsmen!

:lol:

[Nueces]

Have been using Hoppes #9 for many years, but my large supply is finally coming to an end so I will make up a batch of Ed's Red to use instead. Has anyone ever added a small amount of Hoppes #9 bore solvent to a batch of Ed's Red just so that it will still have that wonderfully distinctive Hoppes smell? It's like a cologne / aftershave for outdoorsmen!

:lol:

You might do as I do, put drop of Hoppe's on yer mustache while using Ed's Red!

[Hi-Speed]

I’ve also had success with Gunzilla CLP with my rimfire. I will try Gunzilla after a session using cast bullets this season and report back.

[Thin Man]

I have a lot of respect for Ed's Red, but the materials I use are Shooter's Choice solvent and oil. The solvent does the finest cleaning work of all the solvents I have tried. Then came the day when I was out of bottled oil to keep on the bench for lubricating firearms, also for storage. Since their solvent had been so good for me I tried the Shooter's Choice oil. They call it FP-10. Wow, that was fine stuff. I had been using it for 2-3 years when Kimber introduced their Solo compact pistol. The early production of these pistols were built tight, really tight, and we were seeing a lot of them coming back to us to address function issues. Many went back to Kimber for correction. Then one day I read the owner's manual from a Solo box. Kimber stated they built these pistol tight and they needed to be fired a minimum of 200 rounds with ammo that carried a bullet weighing 124 (yup, 124) grains or more before the factory would accept them for function issues. Along with this ammo requirement, Kimber required owners to keep the pistol clean and lubed during this time. The manual stated if the owner used any lube OTHER THAN Shooter's Choice oil, it would void the warranty on the pistol! Wow, what an endorsement. I also felt happy that Kimber and I agreed on the value of this particular oil. A few years later Kimber expanded their list of "approved lubes" in the owner's manual. Probably some of the other vendors felt slighted by Kimber's early requirement. To add other lubes does not take away from their rating of the FP-10, they were just yielding to market pressures. These are the products I use. I buy the solvent in gallon cans (to refill the bench top smaller bottle) and the oil in units of 10-12 bottles. Occasionally I will hand out a bottle of this oil to a favored customer, have never heard a complaint. Just my experience on this topic.

[fivegunner]

Thin Man , I got to agree with what you said about FP10 for oil . I use EDs Red , hoppe's #9, Koil , Mpro7,and a few others for cleaning but FP10 will do it all . My 2cents

[poppy42]

I’ve been using frog lube on all my guns for a couple years now. I follow the instructions on the website explicitly! If you use frog lube and mix it with some other type of solvent or oil it makes nothing but a big mess! Especially the next time you go to clean you’re going to have to shoot it . Follow the instructions to the letter and as far as I’m concerned frog lube works great it’s cut my cleanings time down tremendously and although it is a little expensive initially once the system is in place it’s cheaper than using Hoppies as far as I’m concerned . I love it and it works for me

[winelover]

Bore Tech Eliminator. Shooter Choice is my alternative.

Winelover